Become a VoteWatch Europe supporter

VoteWatch Europe is a small, independent not-for-profit organisation. Our goal is to promote better insight into EU politics by making information on the decision-making process of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers available in a user-friendly, searchable format.

We rely on grants, paid services and donations to maintain and improve our core activities. You can help us by making a donation, however small.

The Members of the European Parliament have voted a resolution in which they express their concern regarding the developments in the Middle East. The hard-left GUE-NGL group, as well as the Italian 5-stars movement were the only Members that voted against a paragraph expressing the full support of the EU for the international efforts against ISIS/Da’esh, including the military actions of the international coalition, coordinated by the United States, and encourages the EU Member States who have not already done so to consider ways of contributing to these efforts, including tracing and interdicting ISIS secret funds held overseas. Continue Reading

EU parliamentarians adopted three resolutions on three different angles of the European Semester for economic policy coordination for 2015. The big political groups, People’s Party group and the Socialists group, needed to reach a compromise position to be able to muster a majority, as neither of them had the numbers to pass its core agenda. As a result, the texts include a mixture of measures oriented both towards flexibility and competitiveness and towards more labour-friendly standards.

The first resolution, dealing with the Annual Growth Survey (AGS) for 2015, was the most disputed. It was adopted by 437 votes in favour, 249 against and 11 abstentions. (Click here to see how the MEPs voted). The text was supported by the grand coalition EPP, S&D and ALDE. All the other political groups opposed it. Continue Reading

Members of the Parliament adopted the EU’s annual report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2013. The report was supported by 390 votes in favour, 151 against and 97 abstentions. Click here to see how the MEPs voted.

Among other topics, the adopted report puts a particular focus on the question of human rights in relations with EU partners, including China and Russia. The report discussed the challenges posed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea, whether this policy of aggression is a Russia’s continuation towards authoritarian rule, with a worsening human rights situation inside the country. Continue Reading

A majority of EU parliamentarians voted a resolution asking Venezuelan authorities to immediately release all peaceful protesters, students and opposition leaders arbitrarily detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression and fundamental rights.

The text voted states that Venezuelan government must also create an environment in which human rights defenders and independent non-governmental organisations can do their legitimate work of promoting human rights and democracy and ensuring the security of all citizens, regardless of their political views and affiliations. MEPs voting in favour of the declaration were of the opinion that the opposition has suffered arbitrary detentions and attacks in an election year, which could cast doubt on the legitimacy of the electoral process. Continue Reading

Every year, Parliament´s Women´s rights committee prepares a report about the progress made in equality between women and men. On 9 March, MEPs discussed the non-legislative report written by the Belgian Socialist Member Marc Tarabella in plenary and voted on it the following day.

The report as a whole received the backing 440 Members, while 200 MEPs voted against and 47 abstained. (Click here to see how the MEPs voted). Continue Reading

The resolution on the European Central Bank Annual Report for 2013 was adopted with a majority of 461 Parliamentarians voting in favour, 172 against and 65 abstaining (click here to see how each MEP voted).

The annual report describes the activities of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and reports on the Eurosystem’s monetary policy of the previous year. The report is presented to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Council.[1] Continue Reading

Today, the European Parliament adopted by large majority a non-binding resolution on the annual report on EU competition policy. The text was supported by 526 votes in favour, 108 against and 59 abstentions. (Click here to see how the MEPs voted). All the main EU political groups voted in favour of the resolution with the exception of the eurosceptics EFDD and the radical left GUE/NGL.

The resolution highlights the key role played by competition in the EU internal market and stresses that the EU’s competition policy has brought numerous benefits in terms of consumers welfare and has been an important tool to eliminate obstacle to free movement of goods, services, persons and capitals. The textclaims that competition policy should be focused particularly on protecting consumers, improving consumer welfare, fostering innovation and stimulating economic growth; Continue Reading

The European Parliament baked the plan to give an extra €1.8 billion in EU medium term loans to Ukraine. The aim of the financial aid is to help the country out of its economic recession and to support Ukraine’s economic stabilisation and reform agenda.

The text was supported by 492 votes in favour, while 107 MEPs voted against and 13 abstained.

Youtube is one of the biggest platforms for video-sharing, having more than 1 billion users around the globe and approximately 300 hours of video being uploaded every minute. These statistics show YouTube’s potential in educational matters. By spreading informational content on such platforms, the chances of reaching a higher number of people interested in a specific subject increase.Continue Reading

The impression of the centrist grand governing coalition vs. opposition at the fringes is increased even more by the way these smaller groups use alternative tools to hold EU institutions accountable, while at the same time gain visibility: the GUE-NGL, EFDD and non-attached MEPs draft substantially more written statements and parliamentary questions than centrist MEPs. Continue Reading